Wednesday, June 25, 2008

From the Stuart Hill's website (the owner of Forvik island, Shetland islands, Scotland): "I hereby invite residents of Shetland to join with me to set up a true and just administration, based on principles of democracy that will ensure the elected representatives carry out the wishes of the people and that will serve as a model which the rest of Shetland could adopt if it so wished. Further, I hereby invite residents of Shetland to join their properties with that of Forvik in a federation under such new administration. Further, I also invite anyone from any country in the world, who supports these aims, namely to become free of liars, thieves and tyrants in government, to become a citizen of Forvik. It is my earnest desire that Forvik will provide an example for Shetland to follow and that Shetland in turn will provide an example for other countries and regions, the people of which would prefer a system where their politicians represent, rather than rule them." Another Seborga ? Read more here.

The team is complete and comprises: AD6E, CT1AGF, G3KHZ, K6HFA, W5GAI + one non-ham traveller. P29VLR will be QRV from OC-181; P29NI will be QRV from OC-041. The MV Barbarian II will leave Kokopo, New Britain on 18 October and the team plan to be QRV from Garove Island, OC-181 from 20 - 26 October. The boat then sails to the Hermit Islands (OC-041). Operation from there is expected to be from 28 October – 3 November. The final leg will be to Manus Island from where the team will fly home. There may be some operation from Manus (OC-025).73 de Derek, G3KHZ, P29NI

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Not many people have probably thought about the meaning of Midsummer for the folks up in Northern Europe and specifically those rituals that are related to Aland Islands. Maybe not even about the reason why OH0 ranks as another DXCC counter. Simply, Aland is a highly modern society of some 27.000 people and a dozen or so active hams. Also, it is home to three super stations stuck away at different points of the archipelago.

To reach Aland Islands one needs to take a ferry from mainland Finland. See more details HERE

It was 28 years ago when Martti, OH2BH and Leena, OH2BE visited the easternmost island of the Aland group - Brando - and fell in love with its beauty and remoteness plus the instant pileups always created from there. And that marked the beginning of what is now one of the well-known super stations frequently active with several callsigns. In terms of hardware, the latest addition there was an 80M beam that was put up last autumn.

That particular occasion almost thirty years ago was the Midsummer celebration which is very special to these islands. This weekend Martti and Leena will be on that same mission, and you will hear OH0B activated mostly on 20M SSB. QSL via OH2BH.

3) What can I do with it then ?You can send pictures using the digital data stream on a DStar radio, either by loading a picture from a file on your PC or capturing an image from a Webcam (or any video capture device, TV card etc)

This is a pic of me during my first "holiday style" DXpedition. Tanning in Eleuthera, (NA-001) Bahamas, Dec 1996, with my FT900 and a dipole, listening for calls on 11 mtr band (yep!) Twelve years ago, long hair, moustaches and still single ! (24° 57' 13.6" N, 76° 9' 36,1" W). Complete set.

Here is a fantastic new set of 779 photos from the 2007 Hisayuki Kubota's trips in Southwest islands (Sonsorol Tobi, Merir, Pulo Anna, Helen Reef they all count as OC-248 for IOTA). At the same link you will find the entire collection of thousands of pics from those islands.

To encourage the protection of New Caledonian coral reefs and associated ecosystems in their entirety. To make available means for observation and protection. To improve the quality of life for New Caledonian inhabitants and their environment by means of this action. To favour the creation of an international foundation with the same title and objectives. To obtain inclusion of the New Caledonian coral reefs and associated ecosystems on UNESCO’s World Heritage Listing. Welcome on the web site of Corail Vivant

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Roskilde 1658 Award is established by Kristianstads Radioamatörer, SK7BQ. The award recognizes the 350 year anniversary of the Treaty of Roskilde, signed on February 26, 1658. Roskilde 1658 Award is available for both licensed radio amateurs and SWLs. Rules and more here.

During the period from June 16 to July 24 2008, UA3DPB plans to work with the White Sea islands callsign UA3DPB/1, EU-147, IOTA EU-066, EU-153,RRC islands, and from the yacht "White Night" (31 ") water area of the White Sea callsign UA3DPB/mm. QSL via home call or buro.

From the IOTA website: Jim Smith VK9NS has informed the IOTA Committee that he wishes to relinquish the post of IOTA Checkpoint for the West Pacific area as soon as a replacement can be appointed. The Committee considers that the new checkpoint should be resident preferably on the Australian mainland, have a registered score on the IOTA database and be conversant with and be prepared to work within the programme's rules. As IOTA application is now an on-line process, would-be applicants for this volunteer post should understand that the task does not just involve checking of cards but requires a reasonable level of competence in computer skills and above average attention to detail. If you think you are qualified and wish to take it on, please apply to g3kma@dsl.pipex.com by 10 July 2008. We would like to thank Jim for all his service and strong support of IOTA over the last 10 or more years.

Friday, June 06, 2008

Over one hundred tribes around the world choose to reject contact with outsiders. They are the most vulnerable peoples on the planet.

Many of them are living on the run, fleeing invasions of their land by colonists, loggers, oil crews and cattle ranchers. They have often seen their friends and families die at the hands of outsiders, in unreported massacres or epidemics.

This is their story.Choose a special report (Peru, Brazil, Andaman Islands) andwatch the Survival's short film ‘Uncontacted Tribes’

Thursday, June 05, 2008

From the N6TV presentation on WinRad and CW Skimmer given at the 2008 Visalia DX Convention Contest Forum (here is my previous post) there is an interesting slide, called What's next ?

RTTY Skimmer? SSB Skimmer?

A “robot” – a totally automated op? (“Z80 OP” – developed by N6TR, in 1986!)

Let’s sponsor an “X-Prize”(First totally automated op. to make Top Ten box in the CW NA Sprint)

Competition encourage advancements in the radio arts (Don’t write rules that stifle innovation)

So which are the pros and cons of a totally automated op ? What is the sense to have a robot making contact to achieve a good place in the major contests ? Will we reach the limit installing a remoted robot station on Heard or Bouvet to make QSOs without human control ? How exciting is the fantasy to obtain the DXCC while we sleep or spending vacations ? My readers know I'm not into eQSL neither in LOTW. I'm probably too tied to old times style but I'm really worried about the big steps technology is doing. Gosh !

INSUBRIA RADIO in cooperation with the Italian Ham Radio Association A.R.I. local branch of Gallarate invites all YL, OM and SWL of the world to take part in the “VARESE 2008-UCI ROAD WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS” Award and has the honour to announce it to celebrate this event, which will take place in Varese from Sep. 23rd 2008 to Sep. 28th 2008. This Award also will commemorate the 75th first victory’s anniversary of Alfredo Binda, who was born in Varese area and won three times this competition.

This dipole antenna system is 110 feet long, similar in length to a "G5RV" dipole, and is fed with 3/4-inch plastic ladder-line. This photo shows a total of 3 of the AB777 masts which are fully-extended.

Tuesday, June 03, 2008

WORLD-WIDE PROGRAMME FOR NATIONAL PARKS AND NATURE RESERVES of International Tourist/DX Association “National Card”, and International Amateur Radio Travelers Club “Russian Robinson” (RRC) .

Slogan of the Programme: “Lets Save the Green Planet Earth!”

WFF is an International Award Programme (an International nature conservation action on supporting of protected areas), organized to attract attention of the world community to the problems of protected areas, to provide them with feasible practical support, to waken a feeling of pride in the minds of the Earth’s inhabitants for natural and cultural heritage, for visiting National Parks and Nature Reserves and making QSO contacts with them.

The Programme was launched in 2008 under the auspices of International Tourist/DX Association “National Card” and RRC. For you to get a WFF Award you need to contact locations possessing an official status of National Parks or Nature Reserves listed in the WFF Programme.

DXpedition to Sherbro Is. (AF056) from 25/Jan/2009 to 13/Feb/2009 announced here. Operators: I1HJT, I2YSB, IK1AOD, IK2CIO, IK2CKR, IK2DIA, IK2HKT. QSL direct to I2ySB, bureau to G6BMY. All sponsoring Foundations and Associations will receive a DVD of the DXpedition, an article for their magazines and a QSL for their collections displaying their logo. All OMs contributing 30$ or more will receive a CD with the PowerPoint presentation of the DXpedition, a sample QSL(not valid for DXCC) and their call sign will be printed on the QSL cards.

The award is issued base on how many "slots" the applicants worked. The "slots" worked can be found in "Log Search" page. Only CW/SSB/RTTY mode and 160m - 10m band (9 band for each callsign) worked for the 5 callsigns are eligible for "slots". Other band/mode (such as 6m, 2m, 0.7m, 23cm, AM, FM, psk, SSTV, satellite, EME, etc) are not eligible for award application but no problem for QSL cards exchange.

For BY Applicants:

Bronze Award: 5 slotsSilver Award: 10 slots -- Must consist of all 5 special callsignsGolden Award: 20 slots -- Must consist of all 5 special callsigns